THE BLUE LAGOON - BEST CURE FOR JETLAGIceland
Picture three adventurous friends headed for a whirlwind tour of Iceland. We stand at Toronto airport at 9:00 pm with travel itineraries and pamphlets in hand, Icelandic essentials - a woolen sweater and hiking boots - wedged into a single suitcase each. We look like any other seasoned traveler - at peace with the frenzy of activity all around, and ready to experience this new adventure.
In fact, we plan to absorb every experience possible and see every sight we can squeeze into our three short days. Grand plans have been made, and Grand Plans will be executed - sleep be damned! Now, fast forward about 5 hours - it's 6:30 am and 3 exhausted and rumpled ladies descend to the tarmac in Keflavik. Our bodies are protesting at the 4 hours we lost in flight, but that itinerary clutched in my hand reminds me that Grand Plans have been made. Fortunately, and by some stroke of genius, or pure luck our first destination in Iceland is The Blue Lagoon (or, in Icelandic, Bláa lónið). Set in a barren valley of volcanic rock, evidence of The Blue Lagoon can be seen for miles as plumes of steam rise and roll upward. As someone who has never witnessed such a geological wonder, this was incredible to comprehend. Somewhere far below, water is heated by lava, then rises, to be used by the nearby geothermal power plant, and is then fed into the lagoon. My few steps out of the spa building were into the bracing air of an early October morning. The next steps took me down into the warm and steaming waters of the lagoon - what luxury and warmth enveloped this weary traveler! The constant haze of steam and volcanic rock piled high all around evoked a sense of stillness and peace. I slathered on skin-rejuvenating silica mud and sat back to enjoy some true spa luxury. An essential must-try for anyone feeling touristy is to order a Blue Lagoon cocktail at the swim-up bar ... and yes, I was feeling touristy! The Blue Lagoon would have been a memorable experience for its other-worldly beauty, and luxury, but for three exhausted travelers, The Blue Lagoon was also the best possible cure for jetlag. |
TRAVEL DIY The Blue Lagoon Email | Website | TripAdvisor 240, Grindavik 420-8800, Iceland +354 420 8800 |